Teaching Young Children God-Centered Scripture

Overview

Podcast episode discusses how to help children seven and under understand Scripture by focusing on who God is and using contextual Bible memorization.

Helping Young Children Engage with Scripture

• Children seven and under should be regularly exposed to actual Scripture, not only storybook Bibles.
• Storybook Bibles can be useful for very young children, especially ages two and under.
• By around age four, caregivers are encouraged to phase out children’s Bibles and immerse children in Scripture itself.
• Children’s understanding grows over time; Scripture has one meaning, but our grasp of it matures.
• We should not expect young children to understand passages as deeply as older teens or adults.
• We can still expect a basic, accurate understanding appropriate to their age.

Main Strategy: Focus on Truths About God

• When reading any passage with young children, ask: “What truths do we learn about God from this passage?”
• This question can be used for all ages, even teens and adults, to center attention on God.
• Scripture is primarily about God, not about us; it is God’s gracious self-revelation.
• Focusing on God prevents a purely self-focused, “How does this apply to me?” approach.
• Understanding who God is and what he has revealed will eventually transform how we live.

Example Applications

• The host uses this method weekly while reading through the Gospel of John with a high school girl.
• After each chapter, they discuss truths revealed about God in that section.

Examples from Biblical Narratives

David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17)

• God is shown as a faithful covenant keeper who fulfills his promises to Israel.
• God promised to bless and protect Israel if they loved, trusted, and obeyed him.
• While Israel’s army and King Saul cowered, David trusted God and his promises.
• As David trusted and obeyed, God protected him and the nation.

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

• Daniel obeyed God by refusing to pray to the king and praying only to God.
• God protected Daniel by shutting the lions’ mouths.
• Daniel’s accusers were devoured before reaching the bottom of the pit.
• The narrative teaches that God is sovereign and in control of all details.
• It does not teach that God always physically rescues every obedient person from death.
• Other passages show obedient people being put to death (Jesus, Stephen).
• The main truth: God is sovereign; we can trust his control over all events.

Stories of Jesus in the Gospels

• Jesus directly claims to be God and one with the Father.
• Jesus’ miracles show God’s power over sickness, death, and the natural elements.
• These accounts again highlight God’s sovereign power and authority.

Finding Truths About God in “Dry” or Difficult Sections

Leviticus (Example: Mold Laws in Houses)

• Long, detailed instructions about mold in houses can seem tedious.
• These laws reveal that God is a God of order who values proper procedures.
• God provides meticulous guidance rather than vague commands.
• They show God’s deep care and love for his people’s health and safety.
• God cares about small details of community life, not just major events.

The Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.)

• Prophetic passages show God’s sovereignty over nations and history.
• God clearly announces what he will do to Israel and which nations he will use.
• God declares specific plans for Assyria, Babylon, and King Cyrus of Persia.
• These pronouncements demonstrate that God rules over human rulers and events.

Summary Table: Truths About God in Various Passages

Correcting Children’s Misunderstandings About God

• Children will often say off-the-wall or incorrect things when first answering.
• Training is needed to help them identify true, text-based statements about God.
• Some voices in Christian circles say young children should not be corrected spiritually.
• One visiting professor suggested not correcting any incorrect statements about God for children nine and under.
• She argued correction would harm their spiritual exploration but did not support this from Scripture.
• The host strongly rejects this as unbiblical, since Scripture commands instructing children in truth.
• Christian parents are called to raise children in the fear and instruction of the Lord.
• That includes teaching who God is, what his law is, and what he has revealed.

How to Correct in a Gracious Way

• Do not harshly tell children, “No, that is wrong,” and move on.
• First affirm and encourage their effort to think deeply and engage Scripture.
• Example approach:
  • Express joy that they are thinking hard about who God is.
  • Reread the passage together.
  • Compare what they said with what the text actually states.
  • Ask whether their idea appears in the passage.
  • Help them identify what the passage truly reveals about God.
• Aim to reinforce careful reading and accurate understanding while maintaining encouragement.

Scripture Memorization for Young Children

• After discussing truths about God, work on memorizing larger passages with children.
• Prefer memorizing sections in context rather than isolated verses.
• Many popular programs focus on one or two stand-alone verses at a time.
• God’s word does not return void, but misuse or misunderstanding limits its effect in children.
• Memorizing in context helps preserve accurate meaning and application.

Children’s Capacity to Memorize

• Children, especially 10 and under, can often memorize faster than adults.
• Their brains at this stage are highly elastic and suited to memorization.
• Unless a child has a cognitive delay, they can handle longer passages.

Example: Scripture Memory During Quarantine

• The host’s sister-in-law worked on Scripture memorization during 2020 quarantine.
• She was at home in Chicago with three children three and under for almost two months.
• With her oldest, just turned three, she focused on memorizing Scripture passages.
• He memorized all of Psalm 23 and several other longer passages.
• She chose texts aligned with his interests, such as passages involving animals.
• One passage was King Darius’s Psalm of praise about Daniel’s deliverance from the lions.
• The three-year-old could recite the entire Psalm and enthusiastically emphasized the lions.

Practical Tips for Memorizing Longer Passages

• Do not insist on perfect mastery of one verse before adding the next.
• Think of memorization like wood carving: each repetition deepens the groove.
• Whether the “groove” is one inch or 20 inches, repeated strokes deepen it.
• Apply this by practicing three to five verses at a time rather than one only.
• Over time, repeated exposure to a whole passage embeds it deeply.

Action Items

• Regularly read actual Scripture with children seven and under, not only storybook Bibles.
• After each reading, ask: “What truths do we learn about God from this passage?”
• Gently correct misunderstandings by returning to the text and comparing claims with Scripture.
• Affirm children’s efforts and curiosity while guiding them to accurate conclusions.
• Choose longer, contextual passages to memorize together rather than isolated verses.
• Select passages that connect with children’s interests (e.g., animals, stories, familiar characters).
• Practice memorizing three to five verses at a time, repeating regularly to deepen retention.

Decisions

• Prioritize immersing children in Scripture itself by about age four.
• Adopt a God-centered approach to Bible reading, focusing first on who God is in each passage.
• Commit to correcting theological misunderstandings in children, done gently and biblically.
• Shift family or ministry Bible memory practices toward longer, in-context passages.